Distribution of fuel



Feb. 5, 1924. 1,482,549

' H. F. EASTER DISTRIBUTION OF FUEL Filed July 30 i921 H [N VE N TOR A TTORNE Y Patented Feb. 5, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,482,549 PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY F; EASTER, OF HAYDEN, ARIZONA, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN SMELTING AND REFINING COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

DISTRIBUTION OF FUEL.

Application filed July so, 1921'. Serial No. 488,662.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY F. EASTER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Hayden, in the county of Gila and State of Arizona, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in the Distribution of F uel, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the smelting of ores and to furnaces therefor, such as, re-

. verberatory furnaces and the like.

Broadly stated," the object of the present invention is to supply the fuel to such furnaces so as to increase the temperatures of certainportions thereof; and more particthe furnace with relatively less pressures at intermediate point-s.

Another object of the invention is substantially to equalize the temperatures in two zones or regions of'a' side-feed reverberatory furnace adjacent the material to be treated. r V

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be obvious from the following particular description of one method of carrying out the invention and from actual practice of the invention as hereinafter set forth.

My improved process consists essentially in equalizing the temperature on both sides 'of a smelting furnace adjacent the walls thereof, and preferably adjacent embankments of ore or. material to be treated which may be supplied to the interior of the furnace through suitable openings provided in the roof in the usual manner. Fuel is sup plied to the furnace in such manner and in quantity suflicient to produce foci of maximum temperatures adjacent the material under treatment, thereby establishing regions or zones of higher temperature within the furnace itself. Preferably the fuel is supplied under pressure, which may be suitably controlled.

Referring to the accompanying drawings illustrating one form of apparatus adapted to carry out my process,

Figure 1 shows a plan view of a furnace;

Figure 2 shows the system of piping for the fuel for the burners; and

Figure 3 shows a section of a furnace on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

In said drawings 10, 10 designate the walls of the furnace which may be substantially braced by cross-rods (not shown), and which enclose the hearth 11 and support the roof 12. A plurality of feeding openings, as 13, are provided in the roof adjacent to the side walls, whereby the ore or other materialto be treated can be put into the'furnace. One end of the furnace is provided with a plurality of burners 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25. Each of these burners is connected by a supply pipe, such as 26, 27, with a main supply pipe 28, which communicates with a source of fuel 29 (shown diagrammatically) From a point on the pipe 28 between the fuel supply 29 and the first feed pipe 26, extends a diagonal supply pipe 30 terminating at the lower portion of the last supply pipe 27. Near each burner 20, 21, etc., is a usual butterfly valve 31, or other means for adjusting the quantity of fuel supplied through the burner. At the upper portion of each of the supply pipes 26 to 30, is a gate valve 32, whereby the supply of fuel may be shut off when it is desired to close down the furnace.

In operation, the ore or material to be smelted is fed through the openings 13 and forms a sloping embankment, indicated at 40, on each side of the furnace. As it becomes fused under the action of the heat, it gradually settles down the incline, and fresh ore or other material is supplied through the openings in the usual man ner. A suitably proportioned mixture of fuel passes under pressure through the supply pipe 28 in the direction indicated by the arrow. \Vith valves 31 and 32 open, fuel is forced through the supply pipe, and through the burners, producing the heat necessary for smelting. Preferably pulverized coal or fuel oil is used as a fuel, but other liquid or pulverized or mixtures of fuel may be used as desired.

Owing to the arrangement of the several burners, the fuel is forced into the furnace under a higher pressure adjacent the sides of the furnace With a lower pressure in the intermediate or central part of the furnace. Consequently a zone or region of higher temperature is created adjacent the embankment of ore or other material lying against the sides of the furnace, these two zones being the foci of maximum temperatcn' per cent. "The rate of smelting is under 1 better control, and both sides ot' the furlanare operate equallyrthus securing-the maxin'n'nn'results from'a given-quantity of-fuel.

'i i lthough I have de'scribed' and have pointed out in= thennnexed claims certain uiovel features of my invention, 'itwill be samunderstood that "various omissions, "substitutions a'ndchanges in the several steps of my process and mats operation may be parting zt'rom'the spirit=of the invention.

Havlng described my inventi'om what I ='cla11n' =1s 1. The method of-sn'ielting ore in: a refurnace toform sloping embanlm'ients, and

li-ighcr pressure forthe burners adjacent the side-walls of the furnace and-provid ing a lower pressure for the burners in the central= portion of the 'furnace, thereby v to create a region of maximum temperature ad-j acent the side a alls I of the furnace.

1 8. In a metallurgical furnace; a flurality of openings "in the roof alongthe sides thereofa maintuel supply pipetpositioned made by'those"skilledtin the art without deat one "end thereof, aplurality of burners arrangedingroups aoross one end of the certain of said burners 'coupled-to-said main feeding pulverized fuelthereto under pres- "sure in quantity "greatei adjacent the embankments.

'2. i In a 'met'allurgical furnace, the process wl1'ich='con sists in introducing ore adjacent theside walls of the furnace to formslopl 3. The method oi -smelting ore in a rew'erberatory :t'urnace which consistsin I m- "troducmg material to be treated ad acent pipe in' the' same order as the respective burners; and a a branch supply pipe for I at least one other of saidplurality of burners coupled to said main-pipe out of l '-regular order.

' "9. Ina metallurgical furnace;- a" plurality of burners at one end of saidfurnace, I a

' said" burners comprising -amain "line and branches connecting said main line: and each of said burners, portion of said branches "being coupled to saidmam line in the same order as the respective burners-and at 'least 10116 of I said branches being coupled thereto 1 im a ditterent order.

theside walls of the furnace to term sloping embankn'ients, and iteedin g pulverized fuel -to the furnace between said embanln *ments, the quantity of fuelbeing greater at the'sides to"'form loci of temperature adjacent the cmbai'ikmenl's 'and beingdess eu 'intermediate said foci of temperature.

Thermethod ot smelting material in a reverberatory furnace which consists in supplylng fuel-to the furnace ad acent the 3 10. 111 asmelting furnace a plurality of burners 01 heating thefurnace, a branch pipe for== each oi= said burners for conduct ingfuelthereto, a main line'fuel pip'e -for supplying fuel 'to; i a portion ot said pipes in the order of loea'tion ofsaid burn'ersand side walls at pressures greater than supplied "so as to produce a higher temperature near the-walls than in the intermediate portion of the furnace.

5. The process of treating mate rial in a so *reverberatory furnace which consists insup 'plying t'uel at greater pressures to the portion adjac'ent' the sidewallsthan tetheintermediate portion and substantially equalizingthe temperatures adjacent the 05 'side-wallsof the furnace to'provide regions 55 to the intermediate"portion of the furnace an 1 additional branch pipe to supply fuel to -oneof said pipes in a diiferent order.

'11. The comb'ination of a metallurgical furnace having a'plu'rality of burner-s positioned therein; a Ina-in fuel pressure supply pipe "common -to'- said burners,- branch supply pipes extending from said burnersto points of said main pipe'-= spaced-apart and subject to' successi-vely decreasing pressures,

and a connection 'CEI'OIH the last -of' said ply pipes extending from said burners to pressure to a point in the main pipe subpoints of said main pipe spaced apart and ject to a pressure greater than any of said 10 subject to successively decreasing pressures, pressures. v the pressures on the pipes leading to burners Signed at Tacoma, in the county of b on one side of the furnace being less than Pierce and State of WVashington this 18th the pressures on the pipes leading to burners day of July, A. D. 1921.

on the other side, and a connection from the branch supply pipe subject to the least HENRY F. EASTER. 

